Valve pulling device



March 30, 1937. L. o. THOMPSON VALVE PULLING DEVICE Filed Oct. .28, 1935 INVENTOR Patented Mar. v30, 1937 UNITED s'mrss PATENT OFFICE VALVE PULLING DEVICE Lester 0. Thompson, Oklahoma City, Okla. Application October 28, 1935", Serial No. 47,120

4 Claims.

My invention relates to a device for pulling foot-valve mechanism in reciprocating pumps, and more particularly to such mechanism for use in oil well pumps.

The prime object of the invention is to provide a positive means for engaging and disengaging selectively a substantially cylindrical concealed object from a point remotely located.

At the present time it is common practice in pumping deep wells, particularly oil wells, to provide a stationary pump barrel in the well below the level of the well fluid, a string of production tubing connected to the barrel and extending therefrom to the earths surface, to provide a footvalve in the bottom of the barrel, and also a pump-piston reciprocatably mounted in the bar,- rel above the foot-valve, the piston being operated by movement of a string of sucker-rods or pump-rods which extend from the piston to the earths surface within the production tubing.

In order to avoid the necessity of first removing the string of sucker-rods and afterward the string of production tubing and the pump barrel when it is desired to replace a worn or damaged 5 valve, it has become common practice to removably anchor the foot-valve structure in the barrel in such a manner that it can be engaged by a fishing tool and removed for replacement after the sucker-rod string and the pump-piston has 0 first been removed. The operation now consists of pulling the string of sucker-rods and the pump piston, placing a fishing tool upon the lower end of the lower section of sucker-rod in place of the pump-piston, going back into the well with the string and the fishing tool to engage the footvalve mechanism, and then re-pulling the suckerrod string.

The expedient of providing the removable footvalve, eliminated the necessity of pulling the 40 string of production tubing each time it was desired to remove the foot-valve, but caused the running a sucker-rod string an extra time in order to fish for the foot-valve.

When it is considered that, in deep wells, the

operation of pulling the production tubing entailed considerable labor and loss of production, and that the sucker-rod string could be pulled and again lowered an extra time at less expense, it may beseen that the removable foot-valve accomplished a considerable saving of expense over the old method.

My device is designed to eliminate the necessity of running the string into the well the second time in fishing for the foot-valve. I

This result is accomplished by providing the upper end of the foot-valve mechanism and the lower end of the pump-piston with complemental structure whereby the two may be positively engaged or disengaged selectively from a point located at the earths surface, and which at the same time will not interfere with the normal function of either.

Other objects of the present invention are. to provide a device of the class described which is new, novel, practical and of utility; which is not only positive in action, but is simple in construction and cheap to manufacture; which may be operated by the mere rotation of the sucker-rod string; which will be durable; and, which will be efficient in accomplishing all of the purposes for which it is intended.

With these and other objects in view as Will more fully appear hereinbelow, my invention consists in the construction, novel features, and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claims hereto appended, and illustrated in the accompanying one-sheet drawing, of which,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational sectional view of the device operatively installed within a pump barrel;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the upper tubular element of the device which is shown inverted; and,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lower tubular element.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

It is understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, shape, weight and other details of construction, within the scope of my invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or broad principle of my invention and without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof; and it is also understood that the drawing is to be interpreted as being illustrative and not restrictive.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiv-. ing a variety of mechanical expressions one of which, for the purpose of illustrating the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:--The reference numeral I indicates as a whole a usual pump barrel having a foot-valve structure disposed removably in its lower end. The foot-valve structure consists of a hollow cage 2 having a ball valve 3 therein and is not a part of the present invention. However, for a purpose more fully described hereinbelow I provide the upper end portion of the cage with spaced longitudinally extending grooves 4.

by the reference numeral I and is of tubular form having a reduced upstanding portion II which is adapted to fit snugly and rotatively within the lower end of the upper element 1. The

exterior of the upstanding portion H is provided I with ball race grooves l2 which arespacedapart to correctly register with the previously described grooves 8 within'the element 1 when the; two 7 elements are in their assembledpositions..-Theballs 9 may be introduced intothe races by removal of screws l3 which close lateral bores leading into the grooves through the wall of the element 1. An annular shoulder 14 is formed around the upper end of the element I0 and receives an annular washer [5 of resilient pack-.

ing material. A similar washer I6 is also provided in a groove l! which surrounds the lower end of the upstanding portion of the element Ill. The lower end of the element Ill is equipped with a plurality of depending lugs or tines I 8 which are spaced similarly to the spacing of the notchesor grooves 4 and whichare adapted for'engagement therein when the pump-piston is lowered sufiicien'tly.'

It maybe seen that when thecomplemental grooves 8 and 12 are filled with the bearing balls 9 the two elements T and H) cannot beseparated. 1

The lower end of the element 1 is provided with a hemisphericaldepression IS. 'The end is also equipped with a sloping bottomed groove 20 which becomes deeper the farther it'extends'from the depression [9. The groove 20 does not communicate with the depression but is separated" therefrom by a flat surfaced portion 2|;

The lower end of the element 1 is also equipped with an abrupt ended arcuategroove 22 which co-acts with a pin 23 carried by the upper surface or shoulder 24 surrounding the upstanding portion ll thereof. shoulder 24 to receive the pin 23 which projects upwardly into the groove 22 of the element 1. The shoulder 24 also has another hole or bore 26 which receives a coil spring 21 and a metal ball.

28. The ball is forced by the spring into positive engagement with the lower end-of the element 1 .and is adaptedto fit within the depression l9 when the member 1 is rotated to the end of its permitted travel inone "direction and is adapted to roll upon the bottom surface of the groove 20 as the element is rotated toward the opposite direction. The ball .tends to hold'the two elements 1 and in against inadvertent rotation in either direction by pressure either in the depression H3 or in the bottom of the'groove 20.

The two elements 1 and II! are provided respectively with bores 30 and 3| which are both eccentric with relation to the exterior of the upstanding portion of the element I, or in other Words are eccentric to the axis upon which one element may be rotated with relation to the other.

7 When the elements 1 and 10 are disposed in radial positions with relation toeach other in which the ball :28 is seated in the depression IS, the bores 30 and 3| are in alinement with each other, but wheneither is rotated with relation to the other, the bores are forced out of alinement causing a reduction in the width'of the through passage.

A hole 25 is provided in" the;

As may best be seen in 1, the upper portion of the bore 30 is slightly enlarged as shown at 32 s to form an abrupt annular shoulder 33.

,In carrying. out my invention I provide the upper end of the previously described foot-valve structure with an upstanding substantially cylindrical shaft 34 having a downwardly faced abrupt annular shoulder 35 adjacent its upper end. The extreme upper end of the shaft 34 may if desired be pointed as indicatedat 3G in order to insure its entry into the bottom of the bore 3! of the element l0. 1

Operation In operation, the foot-valve structure will be installed in a usual manner within the bottom of the pump-barrel I.. The device will beattached by threads 5 to the lower end of the pump-piston '6,.which is operated by a string of sucker-rods, not shown, attached to'the upper end of the. 2

piston and extending to the earths surfacef 7 When first installe'd,the elements. I and I 0 will spective bores with each other.

he in proper radial positions to aline theirrre- I During the normal operation of the piston, its

stroke will beso regulated that the element H3 at no time comes into'contact with the shaft 34.

However, when it is desired for any reason to pull the footvalve, the piston will be lowered,

which will cause the shaft 34 to enter the bore 3| and pass through the element In and into the shoulder 35 on the shaft above the shoulder 33 of the element 1. As this takes place,the projections IE on the lower end'of the element Ill will enter the notches! of the foot-valve.

element 1 a suflicient distance to locate the The element 1 will next be rotated by rotating the sucker-rodstring, which will force the shoulder 33 toimpinge theshaft 34 and engagethe shoulder 33 beneath the shoulder 35. The sucker-rod stringwill then be raised and the foot-s valve will be raised with the string; The footvalve maybe replaced by reversing the removing operation.

A suitable valve structure 40, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 may be provided between the upper end of the element 1 and the lower end of the pump-piston, if desired. V i

Although I have shown and described the device as used in connection with a pump-piston and a foot-valve, it will be apparent the same principle of operation could be used in other mechanical structures in which it is desired to engage one cylindrical object with another.

Obviously; the invention issusceptible of em bodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described herein, and applicable for uses and purposes other than as' detailed, and I-thereforeconsider as my own all such modifications and adaptations and other uses of the form of the device herein describedas fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Havingthus described my invention, what is claimedand desired Patent, 'is:' e e i 1.-In valve pulling mechanism, the combination with the housing. of a foot-valve for wells, and with a pump-rod, of' deformations carried by the upper end of the housing, an upstanding outwardly flanged stud carried by the housing; a tubular interiorly shouldered element connected to be secured by Letters at its upper'end to the lower end of the pump-l rod, a second tubular element connected to the first element and rotatable with'relation thereto upon an axis eccentric with the bores of both elements, and means carried by the lowermost of said elements for engaging said deformations and preventing its rotation with relation to the valve housing, said stud adapted to pass through the lowermost of said elements and into the uppermost element when the lowermost element is in engagement with said housing, whereby independent rotative movement of the upper element acts to dis-aline said bores for causing engagement of the shoulder with the flange.

2. In valve pulling mechanism, the combination with the housing of a foot-valve for wells, and with a pump-rod, of castellations carried by the upper end of the housing, an upstanding outwardly flanged stud carried by the housing, a tubular interiorly shouldered element connected at its upper end to the lower end of the pumprod, a second tubular element connected to the first element and rotatable with relation thereto upon an axis eccentric with the bores of both elements, and depending projections carried by the lowermost of said elements for engaging said castellations and preventing its rotation with relation to the valve housing, said stud adapted to pass through the lowermost of said elements and into the uppermost element when the lowermost element is in engagement with said housing, whereby independent rotative movement of the upper element acts to dis-aline said bores for causing engagement of the shoulder with the flange.

3. In valve pulling mechanism, the combination, with the housing of a foot-valve for wells, and \m'th a pump-rod, ofdeformations carried by the upper end of the housing, an upstanding outwardly flanged stud carried by the housing, a tubular interiorly shouldered element connected at its upper end to the lower end of the pumprod, a second tubular element connected to the first element and rotatable with relation thereto upon an axis eccentric with the bores of both elements, and means carried by the lowermost of said elements for engaging said deformations and preventing its rotation with relation to the valve housing, said stud adapted to pass through the lowermost of said elements and into the uppermost element when the lowermost element is in engagement with said housing, whereby rotation of the upper element independently of the lower acts to throw the two bores out of alinement and to reduce the dimension of the through opening thus causing engagement of the shoulder beneath the flange of the stud.

4. In valve pulling mechanism, the combination with a foot-valve housing for wells, said housing having an upstanding headed stud, and with a pump-rod adapted to be reciprocatably mounted within a well above said housing, of a tubular interiorly shouldered element connected at its upper end to the lower end of the pumprod, a second tubular element connected to the first element and rotatable with relation thereto upon an axis eccentric with the bores of both elements, said elements adapted to be lowered so as to surround said stud whereby independent rotative movement of the upper element with relation to the lower element causes engagement of the shoulder beneath the head of the stud.

LESTER O. THOMPSON. 

